El Reg spends One Night in Hell with Queen's Brian May

Put in perspective

As you might have guessed, the seven minute film is screened in 3D and to add a touch of authenticity to the presentation the camera position remains fixed, so you view the scenes in much the same way as someone would have over 150 years ago. The character colouring and glowing eyes is also in keeping with the originals.

Judgement day – click for a larger image

Certainly, Unanico has done a great job recreating the scenes and Dolby was on board to work on the Atmos soundtrack which has its moments of spatial excellence. However, the fixed camera positioning does tie the sound designers’ hands somewhat as all the action is centre stage, and for the most part the transitions between scenes produced the more noticeable sonic shifts. Fittingly, there is also French version of the animation.

Bone idol: Brian May adds a musical accompaniment to the diableries animation – click for a larger image

Needless to say we are treated to a hint of We Will Rock You morphed into Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture with May’s distinctive guitar soloing over the top. Apparently, this Tchaikovsky work was banned from performance in France at the time of the Diableries, as Napoleon I didn’t do too well in Russia. May felt this fact to made it a fitting sonic accompaniment to what was originally only a visual medium.

Move over Google Glass: Brian May's Owl design viewer

Talking of accompaniments, the book, Diableries – Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell, features an actual stereoscopic viewer called the Owl that was invented by Brian May, as not everyone has antique stereo optics tucked away to view diablery cards. The design of the Owl allows it to be used directly with the book or with slot in reproduction cards. The distance from the lenses to the image can be adjusted to suit with a simple sliding mechanism.

You saw it here first – the future of 3D entertainment

May’s patent pending device and the book itself are marketed under the banner of The London Stereoscopic Company – a name that dates back to 1856. The web site of the modern day outfit is full of historical facts and practical advice on stereoscopy, but not the moving image sort.

So we have the book, the film, the app, the toy and the web site… wot, no T-shirt?

The One Night in Hell animation will screen this Friday on Sky 3D and Sky Arts. ®